1) Frequency distribution of normal values in clinical chemistry are regular and usually have narrow ranges.
2) Normal values have not only normal distributions but also non-Gaussian distributions.
3) Although the term “normal values” is seriously afflicated by conceptional problems, it is defined statistically as 95% of the range of healthy subjects.
4) Normal values have several factors of physiological variations including sex on uric acid, development on alkaline phosphatase, diet on triglyceride, exercise on creatine phosphokinase, and posture on serum protein.
5) Certain blood constituents vary chronically due to the environmental conditions. γ-GTP and triglyceride levels tend to increase chronically in males who drink habitually, and the CPK level decrease on hospitalization.
6) Certain blood parameters depend more on personal characteristics than on broad demongraphic factors. These findings indicate that its necessary to decide intra-individual normal values for clinical diagnosis.

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It has been postulated that beta-adrenergic stimulation leads to an increase in intracellular cyclic AMP level and induces the relaxation of tracheobronchial smooth muscle, and that alpha-adrenergic stimulation causes bronchoconstriction. The present investigation was conducted to explore the effects of beta-adrenergic receptor stimulators and alpha-adrenergic receptor blocker on plasma cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP contents in healthy volunteers and asthmatic patients.
Various bronchodilators and tolazoline hydrochloride (imidalin), an alpha-adrenergic receptor blocker, were given orally to healthy volunteers and to asthmatic patients, and plasma cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP contents were determined by radioimmunoassay.
1) In healthy volunteers the plasma cyclic AMP content was increased for two hours after oral administration of aminophylline (300mg), and the increase became bigger by combination with imidalin (60mg). There was no significant change in cyclic GMP content.
2) In healthy volunteers the plasma cyclic AMP content was increased for two hours after oral administration of methylephedrine (25mg), and the increase became bigger by combination with imidalin (60mg). However there was no significant change in cyclic GMP content.
3) In healthy volunteers the plasma cyclic AMP content was increased for two hours after oral administration of hexoprenaline sulfate (1.5mg) and salbutamol hemisulfate (6mg), and the increase became bigger by combination with imidalin (60mg), while there was no significant change in cyclic GMP content.
4) In asthmatic patients the plasma cyclic AMP content was increased for two hours after oral administration of salbutamol hemisulfate (6mg), and the increase became bigger by combining imidalin (60mg). However, there was no significant change in cyclic GMP content.
The above results may suggest the effectiveness of administration of alpha-adrenergic receptor blocking agents in asthmatic patients combined with beta-adrenergic receptor stimulators.

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In 139 workers exposed diatomaceous earth and 100 normal subjects we examined the levels of serum inter-α-trypsin inhibitor (IαI) by single radial immunodiffusion methods.
1) In 100 normal controls the levels of serum IαI seemed to increase by age in both sexes and was a little higher in the female group than in the male.
2) In 139 diatomaceous exposed workers, the more extended the exposure time, the lower the mean levels of serum IαI. Such a trend was much more obvious in the pneumoconiosis group diagnosed by chest x-ray film. Some workers, however, showed a higher level of serum IαI than normal controls.
3) The values of EEV₁₀%, V₅₀/Ht and V₂₅/Ht decreased and correlated well with times of exposure to diatomaceous earth (p<0.01) and that of FEV also decreased and correlated well with the pack years smoked in diatomaceous exposed subjects (p<0.01). There was, however, no definite correlation between the above lung function parameters and the levels of serum IαI.
From our data and allied literature we discussed the possibility of significant biological function of serum IαI as a possible protector of broncho-alveolar tissue from proteolysis by excess amounts of endogenous and exogenous proteases.

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Clinical and immunological studies were performed in one case with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis probably induced by Aspergillus oryzae. The results are summarized as follows.
1) Skin tests showed positive immediate and late reactions to commercial aspergillus extract.
2) A positive PK reaction and positive bronchial provocation test were recognized to the aspergillus extract.
3) Precipitating antibodies to the aspergillus extract were positive.
4) Aspergillus oryzae was successively cultured from sputa of the patient. Skin reactions and precipitating antibodies to A. oryzae were positive. These results showed cross reaction between A. fumigatus and A. oryzae. It may suggest strongly that this allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis was induced by A. oryzae.
5) The chest X-ray demonstrated micronodular shadowing evenly distributed through both lung fields and upper lobe infiltrate with tubular shadows.
Type I allergic reaction mediated by IgE, partially mediated by IgG S-T S was suggested to participate in this case. The participation of type III allergic reaction was supposed by: (1) positive precipitating antibodies to Aspergillus, (2) positive late reaction to Aspergillus both in skin test and bronchial provocation test, (3) micronodular shadowing distributed through both lung fields on the chest X-ray, although further examinations are needed for type III or type IV allergic reaction.

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A 70-year-old man was admitted to the hospital on a diagnosis of left pneumothorax. After admission, the patient presented right pneumothorax. Subsequently anemia and thrombocytopenia progressed with on increasing abnormal pulmonary shadow and hepatomegaly. He died following airway obstruction due to hemoptysis. At autopsy, peliosis hepatis was found. Moreover similar peliotic lesions were found in the lungs, spleens, bone marrow, kidneys, adrenal glands, lymphnodes, and intestinal tract. To the best of our knowledge, no similar case is documented in the literature.

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